TNAG-0031-FCO40-67-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 210

CONFIDE PIAL

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522

3. Category (a) above raises few problems. Hong Kong

have furnished Sir D. Hopson with arguments about letters

and books (though they call for certain caution regarding

books since the Chinese would certainly seek to make an

issue of the refusal to sive prisoners in Hong Kong the

"Thoughts of ao Tse-tung").

4. Catagory (b) raises much more serious problems and

Hong Kong telegram No. 536 expresses a reluctance to sanction

further special visits in Hong Kong except as a last resort.

The Governor is also reluctant to see Sir D. Hopson going

into too much detail with the Chinese regarding the respective

conditions of Mr. Grey and the prisoners in Hong Kong.

5. "We have to decide what line to take with the Governor

at the meeting in the Commonwealth Office on 3 May

Recommendations

6.

527

I recommend that:-

(a) "e go through Hong Kong telegram No. 536 with

the Governor in order to establish how far it

represents his own views (as opposed to those

of the Officer Administering the Government.)

(b) te sak the Governor how long it will be before

he would be prepared to contemplate another

round of "special visits".

(c) e ask whether he can agree that Sir D. Hopson

be authorised to discuss with the Chinese the

major complaints which they have made about

the Communist prisoners in Hong Kong.

CONFIDENT IAL

/(a)

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